The word “clerisy” was first introduced by poet and writer Samuel Taylor Coleridge. He was likely influenced by the German word for “clergy” (“Klerisei”) and the Greek word for “heritage” (“klēros”). Coleridge believed that creating a class of learned, literary intellectuals would be key for humanity’s survival. As evidenced by the careful reasoning behind the creation of this word, Coleridge was as much a critic and literary analyst as he was an artistic soul.